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Where is the stimulus for the people that need a first chance?  Why is it all focused on those that need their second chance?  Whether it’s a company or an individual that’s financially distressed, there are many more that are not and just need a push in the right direction to ensure success.

Read more at chamandy.org.

I’m afraid that there’s no easy way to stop the debt avalanche now that it has begun.  Trillions have been committed, tens of trillions more of entitlements and other debts stand to hit us during the years to come.  We’re entering a deep, protracted global recession and deficit spending on pork barrel legislation will not have any tangible stimulative effect.  Instead it creates the potential for a depression when US Treasury bonds suffer from a lack of confidence and the government is no longer able to borrow to pay the interest on its ever growing debt.

I’ve done everything I can, writing the media, my elected representatives and trying to stir the minds of those I know with economic discipline.  There is no quick fix for this crisis, it will be difficult for every single hard working American.  Mortgaging the next generation’s future to prop up the corrupt edifice of insolvent banks and bail out home buyers who never should have gambled is a terrible approach to the underlying problem.

Capitalism is not dead, but any company, individual or even government that cannot sustain itself must be allowed to fail.  That is one of the most important and fundamental underpinnings of American capitalism.  Socialism will not be an effective stick save.  It engenders an environment where the most innovative are allowed to fail in favor of those who cannot compete.

America is still a great country and our dollar is still the reserve currency of the world.  In order to keep our economy the global leader we cannot spiral out of control with debt, but instead must reign in spending on all fronts and embrace an era of thrift while we recover our bearings and wealth.

According to CNBC, the White House has claimed Obama will give more details on the mortgage rescue plan in a speech on Wednesday.  This has provided a confidence boost and provided a bid to stocks.  Treasury bonds, however, continue to sell off in a significant way.

Yesterday at about 340pm, the US government, through Geithner’s treasury department, leaked a plan that will allegedly help distressed mortgage borrowers lower payments.  The plan boosted the mood, forcing end of day short covering, raising the S&P 500 back to a key resistance level around 835.

Today is the last trading day before a three day weekend.  We could certainly see an increase in volatility as a result.  Mr. Geithner’s department leak seems to have been strategically delivered to stave off another leg down.  Yesterday we were testing the 813 level of support, which looked to be giving up as the S&P traded as low as 810.  After 813, the last major support is 800 before we look at the November ‘08 lows in the face again.

Nonetheless, significant technical damage is being done.  The Dow Jones industrial average made a new multiyear low yesterday, the transports continue to sag and the only index with promise, the Nasdaq, seems to be finding less buyers lately.

We may be seeing an interim top on the US dollar index, which is no doubt expected to see pressure from the stimulus plan and the Obama administration’s bank bailout 2.0 that is expected to be revealed in the weeks to come.  The US dollar index appears to be making a descending series of highs.  If the pattern continues this could signal the next wave down.

Watch the foreign exchange markets, as the US dollar could be bound for a correction soon.  Possible trades include going long Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, Swiss francs, Gold, Silver and hedging by shorting the GBP Sterling.

In the downdraft of oil prices and the global recession taking full grip, a once bustling city in the United Arab Emirates is collapsing at an alarming rate. Dubai’s foreign workers are leaving in droves, their investments are drying up and new problems seem to be arising on a daily basis.

Recent incidents have highlighted the deterioration of competence.  Only a few weeks ago, raw sewage was discovered on tourist beaches.  Apparently being pumped in to the ocean by poorly run industry.  Just a few days ago a tanker collided with a freighter offshore creating a lot of debris and a necessitating more clean ups.

Above: The planned Dubai Towers project.  On hold.

I remember only a few years ago I would read that record breaking skyscrapers were being planned and even erected on a seemingly never ending basis. Now that the local economy is collapsing the government has passed a law that forbids talking badly about the city and fines those that would dare to about $250,000.

Tourism has been dropping as other destinations or staycations (staying home on vacation) become more desirable. Certainly many of the lofty projects will be put on hold if not outright abandoned as income dries up in energy and tourism. Many speculate this may be the end of a city that never really reached its planned potential.

Overnight the tone of futures markets has been pretty negative, pushing the major indexes to levels that could retest the trend line support at open if we stay this low.  The S&P has been flirting with 820, a very key level that if significantly violated to the downside, 813 and 800 remain as important support levels.  After 800, we have a vacuum that could reach the November lows.  Of course a violation of 820 on the downside will be seen as a breakdown of the modest uptrend and that could catalyse a wave of selling.

One discouraging sign is since the small rally in early January, every time the S&P 500 has bumped the 50 day moving average we’ve seen a wave of selling.   Market participants are not commiting to long term positions, but range / trend trading short term and this action is increasing volatility.

The US market had its worst day in 2009 on account of the Treasury’s lack of direction and specifics in their plan to assist ailing financial institutions.  The Dow shrugged off 8000 and the S&P lost the key area of 850.  The only encouraging signs are some end of day short covering in to the oversold condition that was created and that the S&P 500 is still hugging its uptrend line from the Nov ‘08 lows.  Other than that the picture looks quite bad.   Geithner had been expected to reveal details and even figures, but instead the market received more rhetoric and promises.

The action in precious metals lately has been impressive.  Silver and gold caught a bid amidst the chaos in currency markets and bank balance sheets.  The nervousness has created an atmosphere of fleeing away from equity in to safer havens.  With gold seemingly gaining steam to make another move to the upside, is $1000 within sight?

Looking ahead

Markets tend to discount the here and now and focus on the future.  Has gold already priced in potential inflation or is that a variable being gauged on a daily basis?  Options traders in GLD would suggest that $95 to $100 (or around 950-1000/oz) are reasonable price targets given their usually large call positions.

Charting the course

Right now $1000 is resistance long term, without some extraordinary volatility to the upside.  Below is a three year, weekly chart of GLD.  The bollinger bands are a great indication of potential support and resistance in price moves.  We’re using a longer term chart to get a very broad view of GLD’s price action over the last 150 weeks.

Past performance

While past performance is no indication of future gains, GLD has outperformed the SPY (S&P 500) consistently for quite some time.  Gold has always provided a safe haven for value.  For thousands of years, gold has had the same purchasing power.

It is wise for investors with long term objectives to have some precious metals exposure in any portfolio as a hedge against inflation, which is expected to increase significantly in time.  Traders may want to be more aggressive playing the rally depending on your strategy.

With the US poised to announce multiple government endorsed packages  to stimulate the economy and assist banks, it is likely that a dramatic weakening of the US dollar will occur.  The Canadian dollar seems especially well positioned to rally, perhaps even back to par with the US dollar.

We can see in the above chart a bottoming process in the Canadian dollar beginning to take shape. Now that oil is also potentially bottoming and some commodities are finding strength, the trend serves the commodity-driven Canadian dollar well.  Watch the USDCAD pair and the FXC Canadian dollar ETF.

According to CNBC,  “The Obama administration’s wide-ranging plan to stabilize the financial system no longer includes creating a “bad bank” but will still contain measures to encourage private firms to buy up toxic assets from financial institutions, according to a source familiar with the plan.

In addition, funding for the bank-rescue plan is unlikely to exceed the $350 billion currently available under the TARP, this source said.”

Just when a collective sigh of relief was breathed about 2008 ending and a fresh year beginning, 2009 was ushered in by the worst ever index performance in the S&P 500 and Dow Jones 30 for a January.  This was certainly not encouraging for those that believe in the adage, “So goes January, so goes the year”.

Outlook not so good

2009 promises investors and traders one thing.  Uncertainty.  While the market has declined nearly 50% peak to trough, the deleveraging process has not been completed.  Banks still have far too much common stock equity vs. assets on book.   Usually recoveries in any stock market are led by financials, so this turn around prospect seems bleak until the equity to assets ratio improves.

Inflation prospects seem to be rearing their ugly head again, as precious metals are catching a strong bid.  Oil seems to have bottomed.  Gas prices are on the rise again for consumers.  Treasury bonds are selling off.  The baltic dryships index has been recovering based on Asian demand for raw materials.  Certainly ZIRP (zero interest rate policy) has created the possibility of a new carry trade.

Recovery, what recovery?

Most predict that the US markets will tread through a slow, “L-shaped” recovery because of the serious damage to credit and stock markets, and most importantly, confidence.  Nearly $9 trillion is sitting on the sidelines in virtually zero yield short term treasuries and money markets.  That cash has yet to be deployed, and was originally retracted from equities, because of a flight to safety from confidence being lost.

The smart money is watching China and Taiwan, as the markets there have enjoyed a significant recovery from their lows and forming a bottoming pattern.  With the US dollar nearly free to borrow for currency traders, the possibility of the dollar becoming a carry trade currency is quite real.  Long term prospects for the dollar are weak so traders would not feel as though their principle loan is going to increase from dollar strength.

History in the making or repeating itself?

The possibility is striking because when Japan suffered a similar crisis in the early 90s, their currency suffered this very fate.  The carry trade in Japan caused most financial institutions to move money outside of Japan rather than invest in the country and assist its recovery.  Infact, Japanese equity markets have never recovered and still thrash around making significant lower highs and lower lows in recent months.

In my opinion, this is indicative of a significant risk to recovery in the US markets.  Already gold is more valuable per ounce than the S&P index.  Other stock markets are outperforming the US market on their recoveries.  Will the trend continue?